Health Savings Account (HSA)The IRS maximum contributions to Health Savings Accounts will increase for 2018. The new IRS maximum contribution to an individual account is $3,450 (a $50 increase from 2017) and $6,900 for family coverage (a $150 increase from 2017).

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2018Employee Premium ContributionAs healthcare costs continue to rise, employees will see an increase in biweekly health plan premiums in 2018. The increases apply to all en-rollees in both health plans.

Express Scripts: Exclusive Smart 90SM / Walgreens Program (Summary | FaQS)

Effective January 1, 2018, Pinellas County's prescription benefit will include a new component called Exclusive Smart90SM / Walgreens (a.k.a. Smart90). This means that

Biweekly Health Premiums

Coverage 2017 Premium

2018 Premium

Employee Only

$8.36 $10.45

Employee and Spouse or Domestic Partner

$107.69 $120.61

Employee and Child(ren)

$91.64 $96.22

Family $181.29 $197.61

long-term medications for chronic conditions must be prescribed in 90-day supplies and filled either by Express Scripts home delivery or by your local Walgreens pharmacy, or you will pay the full cost of the medication.

This exclusive arrangement with Express Scripts and Walgreens allows Pinellas County to optimize savings with deeper discounts on prescription drugs—savings which employees also enjoy.

What you can do now: If you take a maintenance medication, speak with your pharmacist or Express Scripts to learn how to transfer your prescriptions if you do not currently use Walgreens or Express Scripts home delivery.

To view past issues of The Pen, visitwww.pinellascounty.org/hr/publications.htm.

Sep tember 2017 • Vo l . 45 No.9

INSIDEBlood Donor Honor Roll ... 2

Ask HR / Pay Plan Adjustments ... 3Proposed October Pay Increase ... 3

BenefitsU ... 3Gone but not Forgotten / Promotions ... 4Class & Comp Study / Employee Voice ... 4

Nailing It Down / Penny for Pinellas ... 5Keller WTP Wins Safety Award Again! ... 6

EAC Election Coming Up ... 6Tech Bits / Tech Training Classes ... 7

Service Anniversaries ... 8Retirements / REPCO ... 9

Animal Services During Irma ... 9Welcome Aboard! ... 10

Record Keeper / Pets of the Month ... 11Green Pinellas / Consumer Corner ... 12

EXTRA ... 13

Click on the topic to go directly to the page.

2018 Annual Enrollment is Coming!

No Change in Administrators United Healthcare will continue to

administer the medical plans.

Express Scripts will continue to beour pharmacy benefit manager.

Davis Vision will continue to be ourprovider of vision coverage.

ComPsych GuidanceResources willcontinue to administer ourEmployee Assistance Program (EAP)and managed mental healthbenefits.

Cigna will remain the administratorof both the PPO and HMO den-tal plans and there are no plandesign or premium changes ineither of these plans for 2018.

Point of Service (POS) Medical PlanThere are no changes to the plan design or out-of-pocket costs.

Consumer Driven Health PlanAnnually, the IRS reviews Consumer Driven Health Plans and sets the minimum and maximum deduct-ibles, out-of-pocket maximums and contributions to Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

For 2018, the IRS has set the mini-mum deductible of $1,350 for indi-vidual coverage (a $50 increase from 2017) and $2,700 for family coverage (a $100 increase from 2017). As a result, our plan will have these same increases in the deductible.

The coinsurance and maximum out-of-pocket however will not change in 2018.

This year, Annual Enrollment for 2018 is scheduled to begin October 30th and end November 17th. This is your opportunity to review benefit offerings for 2018 and make selections for you and eligible family members.

This is a quick guide to identify new provisions in our benefit plans, remind you about plans that are not changing, and to let you know what to expect next.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Stay up-to-date by visiting the Annual Enrollment web page.

Continued on page 2.

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→ Payroll deductions to cover a domestic partner are on apost-tax basis.

→ The value of the contributions Pinellas County makestowards coverage for your domestic partner is subject toimputed income for any individual(s) who are not quali-fied tax dependents.

→ Employees covering a domestic partner will be requiredto provide updated eligibility documentation, including:

• Affidavit of Domestic Partnership

• Proof of joint financial responsibility

• Certification of dependent tax status

What you can do now: Review the financial dependency requirements to ensure you have the necessary proofs in place.

The PenA monthly publication by the

Pinellas County Human Resources DepartmentEDITOR: Mary L. Sault

Would you like to put something in the Pen?Let us know by the first of the month.

And be sure to include photos!employee.communications@pinellascounty.org

(727) 464-5098

BLOOD DRIVE

Mark Your Calendars

Public Works22211 US Hwy. 19 N.Building 1, ClearwaterNovember 212:00 - 5:00

Utilities Building14 S. Fort Harrison Ave. ClearwaterNovember 28:30 - 1:30

Logan Lab1620 Ridge RoadLargoOctober 2410:00 - 12:00

Downtown ClearwaterCourthouse315 Court St., west lotOctober 2511:00 - 4:00

You can schedule an appointment at

www.oneblooddonor.org.

Annual Enrollment, continued from page 1.

Tobacco Premium(Summary | FaQS | ProgramS)

Effective January 1, 2018 there will be a $600 annual Tobac-co Premium. This additional premium will be assessed to employees who have used tobacco at least once a week in the past three months. The $600 will be divided over 26 pay periods. Our knowledge of tobacco use will be based on your answer to a tobacco usage question during Annual Enrollment. Tobacco users will be given multiple opportunities to participate in a tobacco cessation program prior to the 2018 plan year to qualify to waive the additional premium. For those who are unable to complete a tobacco cessation program prior to mid-December, the programs will be offered throughout 2018.

What you can do now: Enroll in a tobacco cessation pro-gram if you are a tobacco user or have used tobacco in the past three months.

Domestic Partner Coverage(FaQS | aFFidavit | CertiFiCation)

All employees wishing to cover a domestic partner must complete an updated affadavit and provide supporting documentation of joint responsibility.

Please read important information in the Frequently Asked Questions regarding eligibility, tax treatment, and documen-tation requirements.

Brandy PellegrinoDavid SurplusDennis McDuffy Jr.John GrahamLJ WoodRhonda CalderRobert Jones III

Chester WilliamsDawn LindgrenIvanetta DorseyKirk SmithPeter BogieRobert BestorWendy Reagan

Thank you for participating in the blood drive at Pinellas County Government on Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Abigail StantonAlyssa DaielloCamille EvansCharles MiyawaChristina BottGabriela PilosenoJodi FoxMarie SwiftPamela SatrianoSara Gordils

Akhilandeswari BavaraAngela MooreCarol StricklandChrista O’BrienDonald CrowellJennifer WrightKaren FreytagMelissa KennedyPaul Fry

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT→ A detailed Benefits Handbook will be available on the HR

website in October with additional details on the plans,OPUS enrollment instructions, and contact information.

→ Take time to read and become familiar with the planinformation located on the Employee Benefits web pagewww.pinellascounty.org/hr/annual-enrollment.

→ Watch for several Two-Minute Tuesday informationalvideos in October.

→ Annual Enrollment informational meetings throughoutthe County will be offered again this year.

→ A flyer will be mailed to your home prior to the start ofAnnual Enrollment.

→ United Healthcare will provide an online plan comparisontool to help you make decisions.

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Q. Does Pinellas County have a written policy on smoking in County vehicles?

A. Yes. Administrative Directive 11.7 prohibits smoking in County-owned or leased vehicles in order to provide for the health, safety and wellbeing of employees, and to preserve the value of County assets.

Free Financial Planning WebcastsThe Florida Retirement System (FRS) is offering free financial planning workshops for FRS-covered employ-ees via webcast.

Upcoming workshops will be held after regular work hours on Wednesday, October 4 and Thursday, Octo-ber 5, and will be on the following topics:

Oct. 4 Using the FRS to Plan for Retirement

4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 4 Investment Planning for Everyone - The Basics

7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Oct. 5 Nearing Retirement in the FRS

4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 5 Estate Planning: Protecting Your Family

7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

To register for any of these workshops, call (866) 446-9377, Option 2, or go to http://tinyurl.com/zrsh8r6 and log in. After login, select “Attend a Workshop”, then “A WEBINAR” under the “County” drop down box (be sure to select “A WEBINAR” and not the county you live or work in), then select the requested workshop.

Employees who sign up to attend an online work-shop will receive details for logging in and participat-ing a few days prior to the workshop.

Adjustments to the Pay Plan Approved by Unified Personnel BoardOn September 7, the Unified Personnel Board approved a 2% upward adjustment to the minimums and maximums of the pay ranges in the Classified Pay Plan and Fire Fighting Person-nel Pay Plan effective September 30, 2017. It is important to clarify that a pay plan adjustment is not a pay increase, merely an increase to the pay ranges which is done every 1-2 years to maintain a competitive compensation structure for our employees.

One of the strategic goals of Pinellas County is to “Create a Quality Workforce in a Positive, Supportive Organization.” In addition, it is the mission of Human Resources to “Cultivate a diverse, talented, and engaged workforce prepared to effec-tively serve the citizens of Pinellas County.” In order to fulfill these objectives it is important to provide a competitive pay plan that is based upon market values commensurate with the skill sets needed for success.

Proposed October Pay Increase The FY18 proposed budget includes a general increase for Unified Personnel System employees. If approved by the Board of County Commissioners on September 26, eli-gible permanent and probationary classified and exempt employees will receive an increase equivalent to 3% of the midpoint of their pay range effective October 1st. This increase would be reflected in the October 20 paycheck. An Appointing Authority may exclude some employees from receiving the general increase due to a recent pay increase, a recent hire, active discipline, or other reason.

In accordance with Personnel Rule 3, Compensation, gen-eral increases are calculated on the midpoint of the pay range. This means that employees who are in the same pay grade would receive the same amount of increase in dollars. For example, CL10 employees would receive a 3% increase based on the new midpoint of that pay range. That would amount to $1,239.26 (the new CL10 midpoint of $41,308.80 multiplied by 3%). Note that this is the same amount an employee at the minimum of the pay range or at the maximum, or anywhere in that range would receive. If the increase results in pay higher than the maximum of the pay range, the amount above the maximum is paid as a lump sum.

The pay ranges for each grade will be increased by 2% on September 30, thereby raising the minimum, mid-point, and maximum for those ranges immediately prior to the general increase. Raising the pay ranges immediately prior to the general increase will result in a slightly higher gen-eral increase than what they would have received if there were no adjustment to the pay grades. In addition, adjust-ing pay grade maximums prior to a general increase will allow for some increase to base pay for employees who are currently at the maximum of their pay grades.

If you would like more information about the proposed pay and pay range increases, please send an email to askhr@pinellascounty.org.

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Employee Voice Survey UpdateThe 2017 Employee Voice Survey opened August 14 and closed September 5. A total of 2,244, or 74.4% of employees took the survey which exceeded our 2015 response rate of 58%. Thank you for participating!

Our third-party research firm, HCP Associates, is busy analyzing the results.

We will share the UPS-wide results in the November Pen. HCP and Holly Schoenherr, Director of Human Resources, will meet with each individual Appointing Authority to share the results on their groups.

Evergreen staff are conducting Phase 2 - Classification Evaluation by analyzing the Job Assessment Tool data and reviewing the current classification system. Ever-green Solutions will reach out to employees whose JATs need further clarification after supervisor review.

Once the job analyses are complete Evergreen will continue to the next phase – compensation analysis. HR is currently working with the Evergreen Solutions to identify the target organizations for the benchmark sal-ary survey.

We will continue to provide updates during this process. Meanwhile, if you have questions, view the Classification & Compensation Study web page, or reach out to the Pay & Class staff at 464-3367, email pay.class@pinellas county.org, or complete this form.

Class & Comp Study Update

Gone but not ForgottenThe Pen is saddened to report the passing of the following employee:

Thomas “Thom” O'Bryant, 52, passed away suddenly on August 20. Thom was an em-ployee in the Contract Services Division of Public Works. He was a resident of St. Peters-burg and a member of the Allendale United Methodist Church. He leaves a daughter, his parents, and a brother and sister. A Celebration of Life

Service was held August 25. Memorials may be made to his church or to the Salvation Army. Condolences may be left at www.rlwilliams.com. Arrangements were with R. Lee Williams & Son Funeral Home in St. Petersburg.

From Thom’s coworkers: “To our colleague and friend, Thomas O’Bryant, Jr., We will miss you.”

HO! HO! HO! Volunteer Santas NeededDo you like children?

Are you jolly?

Do you have a generous lap?

If you’d like to volunteer to play Santa for the annual Holiday Lights in the Gardens event this year, the Florida Botanical Gardens would like to hear from you!

Contact Barbara Goss at 442-0537.

AAA ZZZINDEX

to

Find what you need on the HR website quickly and easily

with the A to Z Index. Access the link on the blue menu bar from any Human Resources web page. New index items are added fre-quently. Let us know if you have items to add.

Find it Fast: HR from A to Z

PromotionsPromotions listed are for August 2017.

Board of County Commissioners

Building ServicesJared Jaenicke ............................Bldg Plans Examiner

Parks & Conservation ResourcesDavid Harshbarger ............................ Chf Park Rngr 2

Public WorksJosephine Benwell ................. Proj Coord-Proj MgmtSharon Morris .............Pub Wks Opns Field Coord Sr

Solid WasteJeffery Wolverton .................................................AEO 3

UtilitiesKenneth Kloostra ........................... Elec/Mech Tech 2

County Attorney's OfficeAmanda Coffey .......................Managing Asst Co Atty

Clerk of the Circuit Court

Roxann Foreman .................................. Fin Opns SpecRebecca Kindelspire ................................Fis Rec Spec

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Nailing It DownContributed by Sandi Leggett, Executive Assistant, Property Appraiser’s Office

On Saturday August 19th, the Property Appraiser’s Office volunteered at a local Pinellas Habitat for Humanity home building project. Ten employees (the max allowed), including the Honorable Mike Twitty, showed up in force with enthusiasm and manpower to help construct a single-family home in Largo for a deserving family of six.

Habitat for Humanity Project Managers Josh and Daniel guided the group as it took a team effort to lift and nail in roof trusses, dismantle the scaffolding system surround-ing the home, install porch beams and construct interior partition wall framing. Possibly the hardest part of the entire day was working outdoors in sunny 90°+ heat. Thankfully all skill levels are welcome, so some were kept busy supplying cold bottles of water. Everyone agreed the next project would be in cooler weather!

As luck would have it, the future homeowner arrived with her children to express their heartfelt gratitude. The excite-ment on her face was evident when she saw the roof trusses completed. The four children said they couldn’t wait for a room of their own so they won’t wake each other up during the night.

Mr. Twitty remarked that “As a Pinellas County native I’m quite accustomed to our August heat, which can be quite op-pressive. However, the heat becomes a non-factor when you are able to interact with the new home’s family members first hand. I hope many others are able to experience this level of satisfaction of a job well done for a super cause.”

Habitat for Humanity Pinellas is on track to build 59 homes in 2017 for local families.

Three Things You Can Do Before the Penny for Pinellas VoteContributed by the Marketing & Communications Department

On Nov. 7, Pinellas County citizens will make an important decision about the future of our community: the 10-year renewal of the Penny for Pinellas 1-percent sales tax. Since 1990, the Penny has supported infrastructure ranging from roads and flood prevention projects to local parks and trails.

Ahead of the Nov. 7 vote, take some time to learn more about the Penny:

1. Get InformedSee what projects the Penny has completed in your community and learn more about what the County and our 24 cities would do with the Penny renewal on our website: www.pinellascounty.org/penny. Take a tour with the Future Project Interactive Map or see past high-lights with the Penny Accomplishments Map. You can also find answers to Frequently Asked Questions and much more.

2. Request a PresentationOur Speakers Bureau is available to provide a presentation about the Penny at your next neighborhood or community meeting. To schedule, call (727) 464-4600 or visitwww.pinellascounty.org/speak/penny.htm. For a preview, view our Penny Presentation online.

3. Review Ballot LanguageBe informed ahead of the referendum vote. You can review the ballot language for the Penny referendum here.Voter registration deadline is Oct. 10 and the deadline to request a mail ballot is Nov. 1. You can check your voterregistration status and get more information at the Supervisor of Elections website: www.votepinellas.com.

Make an informed decision on the Penny renewal.

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Who Would You Like to Represent You?Annual elections for Employees’ Advisory Council (EAC) Representatives are coming soon. EAC Representatives advocate for you and your coworkers to the Personnel Board and the executive level decision-makers.

If you’d like to get involved, consider nominating yourself as an EAC Representative. Or think about a coworker who would be a great choice and nominate them.

Candidates are required to have been a permanent employee in the classified service for at least one year.

If you are a classified employee working in one of the following areas, watch your email for a nomination form on Mon-day, October 2nd. The deadline for nominations will be October 13th.

BCC Group 1 All classified employees at Solid Waste, Utilities Maintenance, Mosquito Control and Vegetation Management

BCC Group 2 All classified employees at Real Estate Management

BCC Group 6 All classified employees at Utilities Customer Service and the Office of Management and Budget

BCC Group 8 All classified employees at Airport, Building Services, Code Enforcement, Convention & Visitors Bureau, Development Review Services, Economic Development, Marketing & Communications, Planning, Purchasing, and Risk Management

Clerk North All classified employees at Finance, Payroll, Accounting, Inspector General, Administration, North County Branch, Recording Services, Official Records, Printing & Mail Services, Civil Court Records, and Probate Court Records

Property Ap-praiser

All classified employees at the Property Appraiser’s Office

Supervisor of Elections

All classified employees at the Supervisor of Election’s Office

Congratulations to S. K. Keller Water Treatment Plant StaffOver 15 years without a time lost accident

The Keller staff was once again awarded a Safety Commen-dation by the Florida Water & Pollution Control Operators Association. Way to go!

Contributed by Steve Soltau, Water Supply Manager, Utilities

Each year, half of the Representatives’ positions are up for election, so if your area is not listed, you’ll have an opportunity to participate next year.

The Employees’ Advisory Council serves in an advisory capacity to the Unified Personnel Board concerning personnel matters, policies, rules, and regulations affecting employees. The EAC plays a vital role for employees and management at Pinellas County to facilitate working together and discussing issues, solutions and accomplishments for the benefit of all involved.

Visit www.pinellascounty.org/hr/eac to learn more about the EAC. To find out the name of your current EAC Representa-tive, see www.pinellascounty.org/hr/eac/pdf/rep-del.pdf.

For more information, contact Lisa Arispe, EAC Chair, at 464-4862 or by email at larispe@pinellascounty.org.

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Tech BiTsWord 2013 – Inserting a Pre-Built Table of ContentsHave you ever wanted to add a Table of Contents?

To begin, place your cursor at the top of the first page in the document.

1. Click on the References tab on the Ribbon.2. Click the Table of Contents button:

This drop-down menu contains two styles of automatic tables of contents from which to choose.

3. Click on the one that appeals to you.4. The new table of contents will be inserted:

Inserting a pre-built Table of Contents is quick and easy using Word 2013.

Login to ULearnIT and search using Video ID 52085 toview a related video “Microsoft Word 2013: Inserting a Table of Contents”.

Visit HR Training for additional Microsoft classes.

Technology Training – Classes Still Available!NEW Microsoft WORD Advanced Essentials 2013* (next class 10/3)

Attend a 3½ hour hands-on learning experience that covers advanced essentials of Microsoft Word 2013.

Explore methods of adding comments to your documents, reviewing your documents, working with multiple docu-ments, performing mail merges, working with section breaks, creating outlines and table of contents for your documents.

Proficiency with using previous and current versions of Word or successfully attending the Word 2013 Core Essentials class is strongly recommended.

*This class is not recommended for beginning users of Word.

Register here through OPUS.

Microsoft EXCEL Core Essentials 2013 (next class 11/16)

Attend a 3½ hour hands-on learning experience that covers all the core essentials of Microsoft Excel 2013.

Topics covered include the new Flash Fill feature, using formulas and functions, inserting PivotTables and Pivot-Charts, and customizing the Excel 2013 interface.

Basic proficiency with computer keyboarding and mouse skills is required. Need assistance with these skills prior to class? Visit GCF LearnFree for hands-on tutorials.

Register here through OPUS.

Microsoft OUTLOOK Core Essentials 2013 (next class 10/4)

Attend a 3½ hour hands-on learning experience that covers all the core essentials of Microsoft Outlook 2013.

Explore ways to manage mail, calendar and people. Determine methods to organize your mailbox. Learn skills to get the most out of your Outlook.

Basic proficiency with computer keyboarding and mouse skills is required. Need assistance with these skills prior to class? Visit GCF LearnFree for hands-on tutorials.

Register here through OPUS.

Microsoft WORD Core Essentials 2013 (next class 10/17)

Attend a 3½ hour hands-on learning experience that covers all the core essentials of Microsoft Word 2013.

Topics covered include adding online images and video to a document, customizing a document using basic and advanced formatting and editing tools, and ways to polish the final version before printing or sharing the document.

Basic proficiency with computer keyboarding and mouse skills is required. Need assistance with these skills prior to class? Visit GCF LearnFree for hands-on tutorials.

Register here through OPUS.

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15 YEARS Marcia Colby ..................................................Public WorksLynn Harper ............................................Human ServicesDonald Legallee...................Property Appraiser’s OfficeBrian Mowry ..................................................Public WorksCharles Perry ............................Clerk of the Circuit CourtWilliam Peters ........................................................ UtilitiesRoberto Quijada ..................... Real Estate ManagementDixie Taylor ...............................Clerk of the Circuit CourtJamie Walseth .................................Tax Collector’s OfficeLinda Whieldon .....................................Building Services

10 YEARSSandra Barney ............................ Supervisor of ElectionsRyan Boylan .................... Business Technology ServicesMable Lawley ...........................Clerk of the Circuit CourtMichael Little ............................Clerk of the Circuit CourtCatherine Soleau .....................Clerk of the Circuit CourtGary Stanford .................................................. Solid WasteJeffrey Tomeo ...........................Clerk of the Circuit Court

5 YEARSKarla Cook ...........................................Human ResourcesLeamon Davis ........................................................ UtilitiesDenise Morton ........... Parks & Conservation Resources

SERVICE ANNIVERSARIES35 YEARS 30 YEARS Unavailable for Photo

Rachel Panter ..................................Tax Collector’s OfficeCynthia Trimble .......................Clerk of the Circuit CourtJeremy Waugh........................................................ UtilitiesMark Whitby ..................... Safety & Emergency Services

3 YEARSRoss Adair .................................Clerk of the Circuit CourtBrent Barkway ......................... Economic DevelopmentCharles Boatwright ........Development Review ServicesAaron Brooks ..................................Tax Collector’s OfficeRonald DiCecio ............... Business Technology ServicesDerek Edwards .........................Clerk of the Circuit CourtThomas Jablon....................................................... UtilitiesRalph Jordan .......................................................... UtilitiesJason Latimer ...................Supervisor of Elections OfficeTraci McPherson ......................Clerk of the Circuit CourtBarbara Metcalf .............Development Review ServicesThomas Smith ..........................Clerk of the Circuit CourtArmando Socas ...................................................... UtilitiesTiffany Switzer ..........................Clerk of the Circuit CourtBrenda Thomas .......................Clerk of the Circuit CourtDanita Thompson .........Development Review ServicesPriscilla Toye ..................... Safety & Emergency ServicesKelly Valdes ..................... Business Technology ServicesMelissa Wymore ...................... Real Estate Management

David MilesUtilities

Robert DiPalmaSafety & Emergency Services

Cantrece HarmonHuman Resources

30 Years Cynthia Hasher, Public WorksPamela Russo-Scholz, Human Services Tammy Swinton, Planning

20 Years John Brown, Real Estate Management Sharon Dunbar, Real Estate ManagementTheodore Filides, UtilitiesFred Girvin, Real Estate ManagementGary Herbert, Real Estate ManagementChristopher Lewis, Clerk of the Circuit CourtDaniel Pixley, Real Estate ManagementSusan Raditch, Property Appraiser’s OfficeDale Ranie, Real Estate Management Lenwood Sapp, Real Estate Management Matthew Weaver, AirportNettie Woods, Tax Collector

20 YEARS

Karl BookerHuman Services

Monica BunnClerk of the Circuit Court

David MerensReal Estate Management

Jane MuhrlinHuman Services

Tracy PoutreUtilities

20 YEARS

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RetiRements

OveR 25 YeaRs OveR 20 YeaRs

REPCO’s OCTOBER 9 meeting is the annual picnic, to be held at Eagle Lake Park, 1800 Keene Road in Largo. The picnic will start at 11:30 a.m. A representative from the Pinellas County Benefits will provide details on upcoming Annual Enrollment. If you have questions, contact Rudy Garcia at (813) 855-3466 or rdgarcia@verizon.net.

You don’t have to be a Pinellas County retiree to attend. Current employees and family members are also welcome.

REPCO News

Retirees Unavailable for PhotoOver 32 Years Phyllis Bryant, Park Ranger 1, Parks & Conservation Resources

18 Years Greg Harrison, Park Ranger 1, Parks & Conservation Resources

17 Years Laura Knapp, Medical Billing Specialist, Ambulance & Billing Services

Steven PetersonElectrician

Parks & Conservation Resources

Patricia O’NeilFinance Operations Specialist

Clerk of the Circuit Court

September is usually about getting used to the kids being back to school, Labor Day BBQ’s and looking forward to cooler weather. For Pinellas County Animal Services (PCAS), it brings about back to school adoption specials and an influx of teen volunteers. Hurricane Irma wanted to join in the fun and she certainly had an impact.

PCAS opened four Pet Friendly Shelters ahead of the storm. Our teams of employees worked around the clock caring for people and pets as they flooded into the shelters looking for peace of mind and safety. Pets were a priority as we filled shelters with cats, dogs and sometimes fish and reptiles, birds and other exotics. There was no monkeying around though. PCAS staff took more than 1,300 animals into Pet Friendly Shelters. Twenty staff members at those shelters processed intakes for pets and their families and, once the storm had passed, reunited pets with their owners. Mean-while, three staff members worked tirelessly in the Emergen-cy Operations Center (EOC) to support those shelters.

Our animal care team worked diligently at our Largo facil-ity tending to our adoptable animals and strays that came in throughout the storm. Officers took to the roads to pick up animals from the homes of special needs citizens, trans-ported stray animals to safety and responded to calls in sup-port of law enforcement. Over 550 animals required care or transportation in support of special needs and other citizens. The remaining staff secured the facility against Irma. SPCA of Tampa Bay and the SPC Veterinary Technology Center housed additional animals during the storm.

Animal Services Cares for County's Pets and OwnersBy Season Groves, Volunteer Program Coordinator, PCAS

Volunteers flooded the facility post-storm eager to dote on our adoptable orphans. They stayed to clear the area of debris and make the facility safe again. We have reunited all but approximately a dozen animals with their owners. PCAS is housing those remaining animals while their owners work out their accommodations.

As Irma moved out, four out-of-state agencies lent a paw, transporting 75 of our adoptable animals to their hometowns to find forever homes. Transport-ing them made space for those affected by Irma.

We learned valuable lessons during Hurricane Irma, ones we will use to adapt disaster response plans. We also confirmed that we have a wonder-ful staff, volunteers and partnership system that comes together for the good of the citizens and pets of Pinellas County.

Photo courtesy of Marketing & Communications Department

Photo credit: Season Groves

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Board of County Commissioners

Parks & Conservation ResourcesRyan LaClair .........................................................AEO 3

Public WorksKailey Comparetto .........................Proj Mgmt Spec 1Michael Harrington ....................................Eng Spec 2Gordon McClung ................................................. Sr Eng

Regional 911Joanne Phillips .............................Law Enf Telecomm

Real Estate ManagementKelly Meek ....................................................Craftwkr 2Thomas Sterrett ...........................................Craftwkr 2

Risk ManagementSusan Hover ........................................Claims Adjuster

UtilitiesErick Clayton .............................................Meter Rdr 2Jason Cleland .......................... Wtr/Wstwtr Plt Oper 1 Valerie Hoskavich ...........................Wtr Conser CoordRichard Whittaker ....................................Meter Rdr 1

Welcome Aboard!

Business Technology ServicesTerese Fisher Cocks ............................... Prog Mgr BTS

New employees listed are for August 2017.

Clerk of the Circuit CourtRosana Modugno ................................. Crt Rec Spec 1

Tax Collector’s OfficeAndrea DiFonte.....................................Sr Mgr Tax Col

New employee orientation class August 14.

New employee orientation class August 28.

Property Appraiser's OfficeEricka Brown ........................................ Prop Rcds AsstCarola Santiago .................................... Prop Rcds Asst

Have you seen the latest Two-Minute Tuesday videos?

Keeping Employees Motivated - Six ways to help supervisors connect with their teams.

Your Back Health - If you suffer from back pain, watch this video to learn about resources avail-able to help.

And from 2016:

The Employee Advocate Program - Interested in helping fellow employees? Consider becoming an Employee Advocate.

In the September To Your Health: Recovering from Hurricane Irma; September is Healthy Aging Month; Who Takes Care of the Caregiver?; and more!

September's Leadership Notes: Maintaining Civility in the Workplace

In case you missed it!

Excerpt from this month's Leadership Notes:

"Our increasingly diverse workplace presents many opportunities for us to experience differences of opinion. Today, more and more individuals ap-pear to be openly expressing those opinions. This can lead to passionate and spirited discussions that at times spill over into the workplace."

Read this month's edition to find out more about how to keep the workplace respectful.

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Pets of the Month

Adopt one or both of these beauties, fully vaccinated, spayed, microchipped and more from Pinellas County Animal Services at 12450 Ulmerton Road in Largo. View more adoptables at www.pinellascounty.org/animalservices/Adoption_Center.htm.

THE RECORD KEEPER

Records Management has teamed up with Solid Waste and the UF/IFAS Extension office to bring you a joint training session titled Office Recycling and Records Management: What You Need to Know.

During this session, employees will learn about:

→ what can and can’t be recycled in the office,

→ why recycling is important and how we can all do more,

→ local and global impacts of proper recy-cling, and

→ how to identify records that should be managed through the Records Manage-ment department and not go through office recycling.

This session will be held on October 26, 2017. Reserve your spot today by signing up through OPUS PIN OLM Learner.

Office Recycling and Records Management: What You Need to Know

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T O B A C C O

KNOWBenefits of Quitting Smoking

www.smokefree.gov

GregGreg is like a teddy bear. He gives his belly when getting his picture taken, a gesture cat lovers under-stand doesn’t happen often, so volunteers think he's probably a snuggler. Greg is available to any-one that comes in to meet him – he loves to give soft face rubs and gentle purrs. At the age of five this stud muffin has outgrown the teen angst and has a more mature playfulness.

VegasHad a tough day? No one to talk to? Need a hug? Like they say,

"what happens with Vegas stays with Vegas...” This one-year-old will keep all your secrets and more. Vegas seems housetrained and loves to give hugs. He knows a few commands like sit and come, and he’s willing to learn more.

The

Pen

P I N E L L A S P E N

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In Florida, individuals selling door to door, known as a “home solicitation sale,” must first obtain a home solicitation permit. According to Chapter 501.021 of the Florida Statutes, individuals who engage in (or who supervise minors engaged in) certain door-to-door solicitation activities that sell, lease or rent consumer goods or services with a purchase price in excess of $25 are required to obtain a home solicitation permit.

A home solicitation occurs at a place other than the seller’s fixed location, such as your home, and must be unsolicited. Door-to-door solicitation has become a more frequent occurrence among salespeople and scammers alike offering everything from home repair services to alarm systems to the sale of meat.

Often, consumers don’t receive the product/service or the work is of poor quality. These types of sales cause financial harm to the consumers and could result in identity theft.

A home solicitation sale does not give the buyer time to research the product or company, therefore you don’t know who you’re dealing with. This poses safety concerns, as well as possible damage to the home in cases of home repair services.

The Clerk of the Circuit Court issues home solicitation permits.

→ In order to get a permit, one must pay a fee and pass a background check with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

→ All home solicitation sellers must provide the buyer with a written contract.

→ The contract must include the buyer’s signature, date and buyer’s right to cancel clause.

→ Home solicitation laws allow buyers a three-day right to cancel from the date the contract is signed.

For more tips on home solicitation, or to file a complaint, contact Pinellas County Consumer Protection at 727-464-6200 or visit www.pinellascounty.org/consumer/tips/htm.

Consumer Corner

Connie Consumer

Create Sustainable SolutionsVision • Innovation • Collaboration

Door-to-Door Salespeople Should Have Permits

Did you know that 40% of the food we grow gets thrown in the trash? How weather resilient is our community?

Attend the Sustainability Connections Film Series to learn more.

Click on the image(s) to get information and tickets.

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Employee and family news including kudos, weddings, births, graduations, memorials, and classified ads. Send your news to employee.communications@pinellascounty.org or call 464-5098.

Gone but not ForgottenThe Pen is saddened to report the passing of the following retirees:

Introducing ...Welcome Kaia Kilduff Dziokan, born July 11 to Regan and Rafal Dziokan (BTS). Kaia weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 inches long. She has an older sister Zoey, who is 4 years old.

Scholarship Award

Cameron receives his ceremonial check from the Thresher's mascot, Phinley, at Spectrum Field.

Each year, the Florida State League awards twelve $1,500 educational scholarships to deserving applicants from all across the league. Cameron Soltau, who has worked as batboy for the Clearwater Threshers for seven years, was selected as one of the recipients of the 2017 scholarship. Cameron is the son of Terrie and Steve Soltau (Water Sup-ply Manager, Utilities/Water Supply).

Cameron is a senior at USFSP majoring in Environmental Science and Policy, and plans to “harness the power of the sun to change the world.”

Winners were special guests of the Florida Marlins at Marlins Park on July 30, 2017, and were recognized in an on-field pregame introduction.

Congratulations, Cameron!

Marian Bowker, 73, of Newberry, Florida, passed away in August. She retired from Pinellas County in 2002.

Joyce Cooper, 73, of Clearwater, passed away July 24. She retired from the Clerk’s Office, North County Branch, in 2009. Arrangements are with A Life Tribute Funeral Care Largo Chapel.

Lester Garone, 82, of New Port Richey, passed away August 31. He retired from Pinellas County in 1998.

Paul Giuliani II, 81, of Tarpon Springs, passed away August 3. Paul retired from the Highway Department in 2003. Arrangements were by Dobies Funeral Home in Tarpon Springs.

Maryann Michard, 84, of O’Fallon, IL, passed away August 26. She retired in 2004 from EMS and Fire Administration. She leaves two sons and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Thomas Rogers, 63, of Largo, passed away August 14. He retired from Pinellas County as a Facilities Craftworker in 1999.

Joan Sapp, 84, of Brooksville, passed away August 7. She retired from Pinellas County in 1993.

Andrew Smith, 76, of Largo, passed away August 21. He retired from Heritage Village in 2003.

Edward “Edd” Weimar, Jr., 72, of Palm Harbor, passed away August 27. He retired from the Planning Depart-ment as a Graphics Supervisor in 2007 after 40 years of service. He is survived by his wife, son and sister, and lots of extended family. Arrangements were by Michels-Lundquist Funeral Home in New Port Richey. Memorial contributions may be made to the Leukemia & Lympho-ma Society at https://donate.lls.org.

Kathryn Welby, 77, of Seminole, passed away August 27, She retired from the Property Appraiser’s Office in 2007.